Fence-making device



. G. LITTELL' FENCE MAKING DEVICE.

Patnted Sept. 22, 1891.

I 25a 0 en Z0 3 62076 Z GEORGE LITTELL, OF SERVICE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-MAKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,883, dated September 22, 1891.

Application filed November 17, 1890. $erial No. 371,722. (No model.)

To all whomv it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE LITTELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Service, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for lVeavin g Wire Fences, of which the following is aspecification,referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Myinvention hasrelation to certain improvements in machines for Weaving or building wire fences, having for its object, among other things, to facilitate and expedite the weaving of wire stringers about the panels or pickets and in such a manner as to requirein the manipulation of the machine and the placing in position of the pickets or panels but one person or attendant; to facilitate the feeding along the wire stringers of the machine or weaver and without resting or transporting it on the ground, and to effect the automatic locking of the weaving-arms and the automatic holding of the machine and the retention of the wire stringers apart their maximum distance during the placing in position of the pickets or panels throughout the. operation of weaving or building the fence; and to these ends my invention consists in the provision of a carrier or frame supporting an axially or centrally pivoted upright wing or board carrying weaving or crossing arms or rods arranged in openings in a guide-bar or upright of said frame, and so as to bring or throw the plane of the resultant resistance exerted by the pressure or tension of the wire stringers upon the said arms or rods out of alignment with or at one side of the pivotal point or axis of said wing or board,said rods or arms being arranged in planes crossing each other, all substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation of my machine or invention as applied for operation, being shown in connection with a partially-built section of fence. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the same indicating the locked position of the weaver proper. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my machine, and Fig. 4is abroken detailed cross-sectional view thereof.

In the embodiment of my invention I employ a carrier or frame A, comprising an upright bar a and horizontal pieces or bars a, suitably secured at their forward ends to said upright bar near its ends.

B is an upright wing or board, having a handle I) for its manipulation and axially or centrally pivoted at its ends, it maybe by cylindric studs or trunnions b thereat, to the inner opposite sides of the horizontal bars a. about equidistant of their ends, said pivoted ends being located in a plane passing through the slots in the upright bar a, and so as to permit said board or wing to be moved in an arc of about forty-five degrees from its normal position or the position it occupies when at rest, allowing itto be presented edgewise to the upright bar a of the frame or carrier A, for a purpose explained farther on.

To the wing or board B are connected, at their rear ends, the weaving or crossing arms or rods 0 0, arranged insets or pairs, the connection being preferablyeffected bymeans of eyebolts c, projecting from said board or wing, and eyes or rings 0 on said ends of said arms or rods, engaging said eyebolts, said connection being made with said board or wing near its side edges or upon opposite sides of its center, respectively, and so that contiguous arms or rods will be out of horizontal alignment with each other, for obvious reasons. Thus the rods 0 will pass from crossing to coincident planes upon suitable actuation of the wing B. The weaving rods or arms 0 O are normally arranged in vertical planes crossing each other in two or more apertures or openings D, arranged in the same plane lengthwise of the upright or guide bar a of the frame or carrier A,those of each set passing through the opening one above the other and being preferably separated from each other by a cross pin or bolt cl, centrally passing through the respective opening thereof, the forward or free ends of said rods or arms terminating in open eyes or hooks e e for the engagement thereof with the wire stringers. It will therefore follow that with the weaving-arms adjusted to the wire stringers, the latter being in position and the foot placed against the lower horizontal bar to prevent reverse movement of the carrier, by

actuating the wing by pressing upon its handle in the required directionsay to the right-until the winghas been caused to move in an arc of about forty-five degrees, the wire stringers will be spread apart their maximum distance in readiness to receive a picket or panel.

The resistance produced by the tension or pressure of wire stringers when fullycrossed upon the weaving'arms will be exerted in coincident planes, the resultant of which will be out of alignment; with or at one side of the pivotal point or axis of the board or wing. The efiect of this, it is obvious, will be to antomatically lock the weaving arms or'rods with the board or wing in position, consequently automaticallyholdingthe wire stringers spread apart during the placing in position of the picket or panel. It will be observed that the weaving arms or rods, by reason of theirbeingarranged in crossing planes, will in themselves describe arcs in their movements and thus draw upon the wire stringers, causing the binding of the stringers tightly against the edges of the pickets or panels and facilitating the feeding of the arms or rods along the stringers, and consequently eifect the forward movement of the machine thereon during the entire operation or building of the fence. It will be seen, besides, that the machine or weaver does not rest upon the ground as it is manipulated or actuated, thus dispensing with additional means forits transportation during the weavlng or building operation; also, that the d evice is exceedingly simple and light, readily and effectually operated, and easily and quickly constructed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a fence weaving and building machine, the combination of the upright bar (1, having twd or more narrow slots D arranged in the same plane lengthwise of the bar, each slot adapted to carry a pair of weaving-rods 0. one rod passing above the other in the slot, the horizontal pieces a, secured near the top and bottom, respectively, of the uprightbar, the upright wing B, pivoted between the horizontal nieces and having the pivoted ends thereof located in a plane passing through the slots in the upright bar, means for actuating said wing, and the weaving-rods terminating at the free end in eyes or hooks adapted to engage the stringers of the fence and slide thereon, each pair of said rods passing through a slot D and hinged to the wing by suitable eyebolts c, said eyebolts beinglocated one on each side of the central axis of the Wing to cause the rods to pass from crossing to coincident planes upon actuation of the wing, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my siguatu re in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LlT'lELL.

Witnesses:

M. E. ITANLEY, J. H. MEHA'FFEY. 

